Division of Planning, Research & Forensics

Behavioral Health Guidelines for Children and Adolescents from Birth to 17 Years of Age

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, in cooperation with the Advisory Panel on Best Practice Guidelines, has developed guidelines for use by psychiatrists, primary care physicians, psychologists, health service providers, nurses, nurse clinicians, physician extenders, social workers and other health care professionals to:

Promote high quality of care for children and adolescents served by Tennessee’s public health system

Aid in identification, evaluation, and provision of effective treatment for persons with severe mental illness and severe emotional disorders

To promote continuity of care through establishment of uniform treatment options and the best use of multidisciplinary treatment resources

After many months and by working with a broad array of more than 100 stakeholders from across the state, we have recently completed a revision of “Behavioral Health Guidelines for Children and Adolescents from Birth to 17 Years of Age.” This 500-page document is a key educational tool that will help inform and educate child-serving professionals in the state, promoting high-quality behavioral health care aligned with evidence-based practices.

The entire document is available for download by CLICKING HERE.
Or, if you prefer, you can download individual chapters, as listed below: